To find ones
spiritual path is an answer to every Questers dream. Accompanying attitudes
which speed you towards reaching that goal, include sympathy and tolerance for
all your follow Questers on the Way, however much you may disagree with the
tenants of their particular creeds. This does not imply that you should embrace
another person’s faith out of sympathy for their religious stance, any more than
you should take issue with their beliefs and argue each point of disagreement.
It does necessitate that you should keep an open, but not an empty mind.

There are many
paths to the same goal; there are also paths that can lead you astray. The
principal concern for the Quester is, how do you know when you have found the
path that is right one for your personal spiritual growth?

First, let it be
understood that it is not essential to work towards your goal as a member of any
group, cult, organization, congregations or association that pursues its purpose
on the physical plane.

It is mandatory
however, that you deviate not one whit from complete honesty with yourself, as
well as with other people. Sometimes the former is more difficult to maintain
than the latter and for that reason, reinforce your spiritual integrity at every
stop of the way, for it is essential that your acquired knowledge be accompanied
by hard-won merit, if it is to be transformed into wisdom.

Word of Mouth

In the past,
ancient texts often fell victim to natural violence or destruction by foreign
invaders and in many parts of the world, the majority of Questers sought a
Teacher out of necessity, to listen to words of wisdom by word of mouth and
learned by rote. The Quester would strive to prove his worthiness by serving his
teacher in an exemplary manner and his strength of character or lack of it, as
the case might be, would be tested in various ways within the exchange of
day-to-day contact with his fellow Questers before receiving formal acceptance
by the teacher. Eventually, training of various degrees of enlightenment might
be forthcoming.

It is very clear from
the above, that efficient as such training might be, it was not and is not
necessarily the swiftest path in history. This is a pattern which we are hoping
to rectify in some small way. We, who enjoy such long life spans on the physical
plane compared to you, are dismayed at what we consider to be extra trials with
which you are faced, through lack of time to complete your projected goals on
the physical plane before returning to the spirit realm.

We wish to
encourage in our friends an extend life span through improved physical, mental
and spiritual well-being. In the meantime, we share with you an acceleration of
the expanded awareness which is within your own grasp and the progress of which
is under your control.

Choosing Your Path

The ladder path
is for all Questers. Originally developed to provide exactly what its name
implies, it is a safe system of training by which you may ascend the path of
Initiation step by step. At no time does it narrow your essential appreciation
of all life on the planet, lessen your respect for all sentient beings or
diminish reverence for the Deity, you discover instead, that your participation
in life-expression is broadened and this is as it should be.

All true paths
converge their highest-level, but a subject not generally dwelt upon is, that a
method of training which may be quite suitable for one individual can be
completely wrong for another. Following the wrong path, although not necessarily
a negative path, may result in a loss of precious time and energy to the Quester
concerned.

Your choice of
which path to follow may have been made many incarnations ago, but lacking
continuity of consciousness, the disruption caused by cycles of death and
rebirth may have disturbed the path of training you originally chose. Then you
repeat a pattern of returning to the beginning of various paths, instead of
continuing with a one upon which you have already made some progress. This may
not be out of choice; it sometimes results from a lack of opportunity or
unavailability.

Most true paths
owe their inception to the source of the Ladder Path and may still contain
fragments which are compatible with its philosophy. Therefore, no precious time
is lost in its study, for true paths are compatible with it. You may attune
yourself to the practice of its philosophy, safe in the knowledge that
eventually, it will bring you to the notice of a senior disciple who will make
his presence known to you, perhaps by impression or guidance in your studies
during the sleep state and who may eventually contact you consciously.

Please remember
however, spiritual training is not a competition, your progress is your own
concern and recognition by an Elder Brother should not be exploited like a medal
won on the battlefield. Also to be taken into consideration is the fact that
just because there is no particular conflict of ideology, it does not imply that
you can necessarily expect exact patterns of training to follow suit. As we have
stated elsewhere, essential changes have been introduced in updating the system
over a very long a period of time, whenever they have proven necessary. These
changes are equally essential for the Questers amongst humankind to practice, if
they wish to radiate the Light of the Hierarchy in the 21st century.

Centers of Light

It is
understandable that Questers in search of truth yearn to reach the spiritual
center from which all true teaching originates. It is even more understandable
that they wish to remain close to a center of Light in what sometimes appears to
be a darkening world, but we assure you, there are centers of Light which we
call Power Houses founded by the great planetary center of Shamballa, there
are-ashrams of the Hierarchy also, which are much closer geographically to most
of you than those of the Gobi Desert. Because they are not visible to normal
eyesight does not invalidate their presence, you cannot see radio waves either,
yet who would argue their existence.

Very often, there
are hidden esoteric groups located near a Power House that expresses a very high
degree of spiritual evolution. Their members do not necessarily participate
within the inner body of the work, yet they contribute very importantly to the
overall success of the ongoing project by acting as intermediaries with the
outside world. These disciples very often sacrifice their own work and even
their own lives in times of political chaos, by diverting attention away from
their Elder Brethren so that the great work of the Divine Plan may continue on
interrupted.

We have written
about the Power Houses before (The Sea Gods- After Atlantis Chapter 22), but we
are releasing a little more information at this time to encourage serious
Questers, because it is possible as you advance in your training to attune
yourself to the vibration of a particular Power House and draw upon that power
for altruistic purpose, whether directly or indirectly.

Fact vs. Fantasy

It is no mystery
that the Power Houses are truly those which in reality represent the Nth degree
of wish fulfillment on behalf of the beginning Quester. But let us examine both
fact and fantasy.

It is true that
Power Houses are usually located it in somewhat inaccessible areas. It stands to
reason that if these locations are so secret, is because discovery by in
unenlightened or ambition-motivated individual could present a danger to all
concerned. It is indeed a truism that sometimes disaster can result from sheer
folly with an even greater ease than is accomplished through deliberate intent.

The Masters
dwelling within their walls practice the Natural Laws of the cosmos as well as
those of the planet. The Magi or more precisely, the Cosmic Scientists,
involved, do not seek trainees. Only those Initiates whose character have been
tempered by the steel of diversity and are already well-trained as Masters of
logic or concentration in action; can gain access to participate in this great
work. They must be able to accustom themselves to separation from mankind’s
concept of “time.“

It is also to
preserve the safety of the Quester in the outside world that these secrets are
so well guarded. The Initiates of the secrets and the Masters of their practice
working within the power lodges do not seek to rule the world, but to serve it.
The same cannot be said of many men who might attempt to compromise the Questers
integrity upon his or her return to the outside world, if they suspect
possession of such secrets.

There is indeed a
sense of mystery, which serves only to enhance the respectful awe accorded to
any disciple who is said to have gained entrance to or received training within
even the outer sanctuary of one of the ashrams.

But this sense of
mystery which is so fascinating from a distance, soon loses its savor for the
Quester when he learns that the deeper he penetrates into the well kept secrets
of it even an outer sanctuary, the less possible it is to return to the outside
world when he wants to, to broadcast his “acceptance into hallowed
territory“ if he is not deemed ready to do so. There is not the same thrill in
sharing common day-to-day labors with senior disciples who are unimpressed by
the occult gossip and who reserve their joyful approval for those who deserve
it.